Software:Voxel Space

From HandWiki
Short description: Video game graphics engine
Voxel Space
Developer(s)NovaLogic, Kyle Freeman
Type3D graphics engine
Websitehttp://www.novalogic.com/

Voxel Space was a voxel raster graphics rendering engine invented by Novalogic developer and vice-president of technology, Kyle Freeman.[1][2] The company was issued a patent for the technology in early 2000.[3][4][5]

History

The original Voxel Space engine was patented in 1996, and first released in software in the 1992 release Comanche: Maximum Overkill. The engine was then revamped into Voxel Space 2 (which supports the use of polygons as well as voxels, and was used in Comanche 3 and Armored Fist 2),[6] and later Voxel Space 32 and used in Armored Fist 3 and Delta Force 2.

Based on Kyle Freeman's experience with voxels in medical-imaging technologies used in CT scan[7] and MRI scanners, similar technology was used in games such as Outcast. With the advance of computation power in modern computers there do exist browser-based versions of similar technology based on the Voxel Space terrain rendering used in Comanche.[8]

The version of the engine used in the Comanche series utilized ray-tracing every pixel of the volumetric terrain data.[citation needed]

Versions

  • Voxel Space 3D:
  • Voxel Space 2:
  • Voxel Space 32: 32-bit rendering, 16 million color support, 360 degrees of transformation.[9]

List of games

The technology was used in a number of commercial game titles.[10]

References

  1. "NovaLogic Awarded Patent for Unique 3-D Graphics Engine; Voxel Space 2 Becomes Game Publisher's Third Patented Invention. - Free Online Library". thefreelibrary.com. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/NovaLogic+Awarded+Patent+for+Unique+3-D+Graphics+Engine%3B+Voxel+Space...-a059539908. 
  2. "Beyond Triangles – GigaVoxels Effects in Video Games". 17 August 2009. http://maverick.inria.fr/Publications/2009/CNLSE09/GigaVoxels_Siggraph09_Slides.pdf. 
  3. "Voxel's Unite in Graphic Glory as NovaLogic is Issued Patent - IGN". ign.com. http://www.ign.com/articles/2000/02/19/voxels-unite-in-graphic-glory-as-novalogic-is-issued-patent. 
  4. "Gamasutra - Nova Logic Patented". gamasutra.com. http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/93685/Nova_Logic_Patented.php. 
  5. "patent US6020893A, System and method for realistic terrain simulation". patents.google.com. https://patents.google.com/patent/US6020893. 
  6. "NG Alphas: NovaLogic". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (20): 62-63. August 1996. 
  7. Schuytema, Paul (July 1994). "The Wizard of Voxels". Computer Gaming World: 140-144. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1994&pub=2&id=120. 
  8. "Voxel Space in the game Comanche". GitHub. https://github.com/s-macke/VoxelSpace. 
  9. "FlightSim.Com - NovaLogic Awarded Patent For Voxel Space Graphics Engine". flightsim.com. http://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/content.php?2994-NovaLogic-Awarded-Patent-For-Voxel-Space-Graphics-Engine. 
  10. "NovaLogic: Legal Information". novalogic.com. http://www.novalogic.com/novaworld/legal.htm.